Whatever you think about the in-progress "beyond compliance" program and its origins, the fact is it's in the works -- anyone with ideas on how it *should* or *shouldn't* be structured can weigh in via a listening session Jan. 12.

The day the exemptions hit the sleeper, Pride & Polish competition gets hotter and hotter, famous cabovers get closer to their final resting places and more from May-August in this 2015 Channel 19 year in review.

We've got a full 14-hour clock's worth of on-duty time, and more, left yet, so check back tomorrow and on New Year's Eve for the second and third parts of this the annual year in review on the Channel 19 blog.

The "Beyond Compliance" incentive/credit program's inclusion in the highway bill ensures its regulatory pursuit. Inclusion follows exploration of the idea by FMCSA and numerous commenters earlier this year.

If you’re armed with a court adjudication of a citation that also was marked as a violation on an Illinois inspection report, and if the charge was pled down or dismissed, you should have little trouble.